Septic tank.



T. l. WESTON.

SEPTIC TANK. v APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. I9Ia. l.,l'7'?,075. Patented Mar. 28,1916..

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THOMAS I. WESTON, OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SEPTIC TANK.

timore. i

Spe'cicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar'. 28, 1916.

Applicationledl April 2, 1915. Serial No. 18,750.

My invention relates to septic tanks' for y .sewage disposal systems and particularlyto that class of tanks in which the action. of bacteria is taken advantage of in converting the objectionable organic matters of sewage and polluted Waters into an inertr inorganic form. 4

' Ihe principal objects ofvmy invention are to provide an improved tank constructionv which may be manufactured at a central plant or factory and which may be readily installed by the purchaser without the use of special apparatus. y

Another objectisto provide a round tank so designed that the sewage. is` thoroughly b ut gently mixed as it part ofthe tank.

A further object is to providefa means for periodically diverting the sewage from one seepage bed to another..

The above and other objectsand the novel features of the invention will be apparent d0' from the following description taken in connection withthe drawings in which the preferred form of my invention is .'illustratcd.

Figure 1 is aglongitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, illustrating a septic tank embodying my invention; Figs. 2, 3

and 4` are transversesectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 2-2, 3-3 and 4 4 of Fig.` 1; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sec'- tional view of another septic tank embody-` ing my invention, and Fig. 6V is a horizontal y sectional view of va valve fordiverting the vsewa` e from one. seepage bed to another.

Re erring to theqdrawings the septic tank constructedaccording to my invention comprises a receiving chamber 10 andy a dis-v charge chamber 11 each 4of'which is constructd 'of one or more cylindrical pipe sections substantially of the constructionfof the pipe section shown and described in my Patent No.' 1,132,137, granted March 16,`

Nided with a tapering spigot 14Cl havingvan gif-set recess 15 and constructedto fit a suit# passes through each designated as the sludge chamber and theA .compartment 11 from which the sewage is periodically discharged to the filter beds by a Siphon will be 'designated the siphon chamber.'

The inlet end of the-sludge chamber 10 comprises an end .wall 17 which has a flat exterior surface 418 and a peripheral rim portion 19 tapered on its exterior surface and provided with an off-set circumferential recess 20. 'The taperingportion 19 of the end wall 17 is designed to'tit in the socket l2 and the recess 20 thereofregisters with the recess 13 in the socket thereby forming a channel to receive plastic material which forms the key 21 to unite the end wall 17 to the cylindrical pipe section. The form of jointis" fully described in my Patent No. 1,132,137 above referred to.

The end Wall 17 is cast or molded of concrete or similar plastic material and is provided with an inlet passageway 22 which cX- with the inside` surface ofthe wall 17. The

form a socket at theirends for a sewer pipe 26, and diverge downwardlyfrom the opening 22 thereby forming a flaring passageway lateral walls 24, 24 of the passageway'23 `so that the velocity of the .inflowing sewage will be considerably diminished to prevent any agitation of the contents of the sludge [chamber 100. The/sewage is led tothe inlet opening 22'by a suit-able tile pipe 26. The flarinnf passageway 23 extends downwardly diametrically across the end wall 17 from the inlet-22 which 's locatedneanthe' top of the wall 17,`the lower end of the passageway l 23 terminating considerably beneath the nor- 4mal waterlevel yin thesludgechamber 10,V

thereby serving also as atrap to'hpreve'nt the cscabeoffoul gases fromthechamber 10.

gThe two/cylindrical members which con-l ,stitute the chambers 10 and 11 are sepa.

rated by a partition wall-27 one lside ofber which constitutes the chamber 11. The

wall 27 lis cast orl molded. from concrete or similar plastic material and has a passageway 32 in one side thereof opening in one side thereof and extending therethrough to the opposite side where it terminates in a iaring passageway 33 extending upwardly diametrically across the surface of the partition. The passageway 33 has the two lateral walls 34 which with the outer wall '35 and thesurface of the partition 27 form the aring passageway, the walls 34, 34 diverging upwardly from the passageway 32 andbeing joined at their lower ends by the curved partj36. The partition 27 when secured in place between the two cylindrical members forms therewitha continuous unbroken cylindrical exterior surface for the tank. The inlet to the passageway through the partition 27 is located considerably below the normal water level in the sludge-chamber 10 and the outlet of thetlaring passageway 33 on the opposite side of the partition 27 is located substantially at the normal surface of the water in the chamber 10, being constructed so that the outlet thereof will be disposed at substantially the same height 'as the inlet 22.

The outlet end of the siphon`chamber 11 vhas an end wall 36 which is provided with a tapering peripheral socket member 37 at` end wall- 36 has a passageway 41 extendingy therethrough which passageway registers with the outlet opening 42 ofthe siphon block 43 abutting against the inner face of the end wall 36. The siphon block is preferably cast. separate from the end wall 36 and has a lug 42 fitting a recess in the inner surface of said wall to hold it in position. j

The block 43 is molded of concrete and comprises` a Siphon passageway having the two legs 44 and 45 connected at theirupper ends by a cross passage 46 whichffis comparatively thin vertically, but .widehorizontally so that liquid entering through the inlet 47 of the `passageway 44 can spread out in the passageway 46 and so that the Siphon formed by the legs 44 andv 45' will operate quickly and positively when the water reaches a level corresponding to the upper ends of the passages 44 and 45. The,

lower end 48 of the inner side of the passageway 45 extends below the outlet of the opening 42 so as toform a water seal at that point. f Theblock 43 and the plane of the passageways 44 and 45 extends transversely of the .center line ofthe sections f forming the tank, the inlet 47 to the s iphon block Ilacing located to one side of and. out

lof line with the opening 42 in the block.

Under certain conditions'it-is desirable and even essential thatmore than oney seepage bedJpe providedto receive the sewage discharged from the septic tank. This is because the absorption ability of the soil should not be overtaXed as vthe bacteriological action takes place better where the soil Y becomes comparatively dry after each dose of the efiiuent. One of thev seepage beds is Atile 52 extending through the opening 41 in the end wall 36. The valve block 50 has two discharge passageways- 53 and 54 which are connectedto'fthe tiles 55 and 56 respectively leading to the separate seepage beds, the admission of the sewage to the pipes 55 and 56 being controlled by the valves 57 andV 58- respectively which are operable from the surface by` means of rods 59 .er other suitable devices. It will be understood that oney of the valves is always ,open and whenever it is desired to change from the seepage bed in use to another the other valve is opened ,and the valve injuse is closedwheremay readily be distributed throughout :iff

greater area to insure the` proper seepage ofthe sewage into the soil.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a tank embodying my invention in which both the sludge chamber and the Siphon chamber are .i

[made up of a plurality of `pipe sections 60.

similar tothe pipe sections disclosed in Fig. f

1. In order to forma screen over the inlet 32 in the partition between the sludge chamber and the siphon chamber a pile 61 of broken stone or similar loose material-,is introduced into the sludge chamber and piled f infront of the opening 32." The' screen 6 1A may be formed of any other suitable screening material to prevent the passage of larger masses `throughthe connection between the two chambers. In order to obtain the best results the septic tank should be disposed under ground where it is dark and warm and where there isl practically no air. It is essential that the sewage in the Sludge chamber 10 should remain at a constant level and Should be disturbed as little as possible by the inflow 'of the new sewage. The Siphon chamber y11 Should likewise receive the sewage as gently as possible and,` it should be of Such a Size that it will flush automatically once every live to `twenty-four hours, which will give the required time for the proper action of the bacteria.

The Septic tank is composed of parts ofcircular shape which may be rolled directly into position without uprighting. All of the parts being circular in form there will be fewer corners in the tanks which eliminates to a great lextent any possibility of accumulation and insures thorough mixing and circulation of the sewage. The greatest possible surface area is also presented inthe tanks which is very necessary especially in the sludge chamber so that the sludge forming on the surface will be as great in area aspossible in proportion to the volume of sewage.

The use and automatic operation of the septic tank will be apparent from the foregoing description. V

While the device has been described in detail it *will be understood that minor changes may be made therein without -de- Iparting from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is l. In a septic tank the combination of two l tubular members disposed end to end, anda device joining said members together, said diameter, said end wall having a peripheral l portion joined to the end of the tubular member, and having a` passageway disposed withinfsaid peripheral portion and terminating outlet. j

3. A septic tank having a wall provided with a fluid passageway, said fluid-passageway terminating on o ne Side of said wall -in a flaring outlet, the lateral walls of said outon` one side of said wall in a flaring `let diverging from the outlet side of said. passageway.

,4. In a Septic tank the `combination of ya tubular member having end walls joined thereto, one of said' end walls having an inlet opening terminating on the inner side of said tubular member. in a flaring outlet, the other of said end Walls having a passage Way terminating on the outer side ofsaid wall in a flaring outlet. n

5. In a. Septic tank the combination of a tubular member having end walls joined therete,one of said end walls having an inlet passageway at the top thereof and terminating in an outlet on the inner side of said wall which outlet is located below the normal water level in said tank, the other end wall of saidV tubular memberhaving a passageway therethrough, the inlet of which is disposed below the normal water level in said tubular member.

6. In a septic tank the combination of a plurality of members forming chambers, an inlet for one of said chambers terminating in an'outlet on the inner side of said chamber and below the normal water level therein, a partition between said chambers having a passageway therein establishing communication between said chambers and having its inlet located below the normal water level of onerof the chambers and its outlet on the other side of the partitionand located atthe normal water level of the tank.

7. In a Septic tank the combination of a sludge chamber having an inlet and an' outlet both of which are located below the normal water `level in said chamber, a Siphon chamber, having an inlet at the normal water level of the sludge chamber and connected to the outlet of the sludge chamber,

Said Siphon chamber having an outlet, and

a siphon in said Siphon chamber having its outlet connected to the outlet of the siphon member.

8. In a septic tank the combination of tubular members arranged end to end, one of said members constituting part of a vSiphon chamber, an end `wallfor the sludge chamber having an inlet opening therein terminating in an outlet within the chamber and below` the normal water level, said chamber also having an outlet disposed below the normal water level and connected to the Siphon chamber, the outlet ofy said connection being disposed in said Siphon chamber and at the normal -water level of the septic tank, said Siphon chamber having an outlet therein, and a Siphon block in said Siphon chamber having an outlet communicating with the outlet of said siphon chamber and a Siphon passageway therein in which the fluid flows transversely4 of the Siphon chamber.

9. Inl a septic tank the combination of a plurality of tubular concrete pipes arranged end to end, a device having a peripheral portion ofl thesame diameter aS the pipes and joined to each ofvsaid pipes, said device" having awall within its peripheral portion forming a partition between said pipes and separating` said tank into a sludge chamber and a Siphon chamber, Said partition having a passageway therethrough and provided with an inlet disposed below the normal water level in the sludgex chamber and terminating' in the Siphon chamber in a iaring conduit the outlet of which isdisposed at the normal water level, of the tank, said sludge chamber having an inlet which terminates on the inner side'of said chamber in a flaring conduit'having its outlet below the normal waterlevel in the sludge chamber,the Siphon chamber having an end wall united to the pipe Section and provided with an outlet located below the normal water level in said chamber, and a Siphon block abutting against the end wall of Said Siphonchamber and having an outlet therein connected with the outlet in said end wall.

10. In a septic tank the combination of a Sludge chamber and a Siphon chamber hav-l ing 'a partitionv Wall therebetween/the sludge chamber having an inlet terminating below the normal water level therein and an outletf disposed below the normal water level, said 25 outlet being connected with the Sipho-n chamber'and discharging into the latter at the normal water lever of theA tank, said outlet having a screening material disposed in front of the Same4 and locatedrin the 30 sludge chamber, said Siphon chamber hav, ing an outlet, and a Siphon within Said Siphon chamber having an outlet connected with Said outlet of the Siphon chamber.

In testimony whereof I afiixjmy signa- 35y ture in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS I. WESTON. Witnesses:

J. P. MATHENY,

F. A. BULL. 

